Console humidifiers of the portable type having a cabinet enclosing a motor and fan and a large diameter, drum or media wheel rotatable through a water reservoir commonly employ either two motors, one for high speed fan rotation and another for relatively very low speed media wheel rotation, or a gear drive reduction from a single fan motor to rotate the media wheel at a very slow speed. Examples of a dual motor drive system in a console humidifier are found in prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,471,133; 3,598,370; and 3,596,886. Such humidifier drive systems are more expensive than necessary, due to the requirement of a second motor to drive the media wheel. Gear reduction systems such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,610,589 and 3,756,579 are similarly expensive, although the need for a second motor is eliminated.
Another method, which employs a louvered faced media wheel driven by air flow from a fan behind the wheel thus eliminating any positive drive for the media wheel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,497.
The broad concept of providing a single motor to drive a fan and a drum or media wheel by a reduction speed pulley and belt system is disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. No. 1,905,101. However, the disclosed drive system provides only a very low ratio speed differential and the drive system components are quite different in structure and arrangement from those of the present invention.
Other disclosures of single motors driving two or more components of humidifier or air conditioning systems are found in prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,747,694; 1,888,001; 2,232,586; 2,300,580; 2,548,694; 2,823,907; and 3,038,708.
However, the prior art does not disclose the very simple yet highly reliable drive system of the present invention which further provides a very significant cost savings in the manufacture of portable, console humidifiers.